Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Over the past two centuries, the medical field has grown, advanced and improved dramatically. From discovering new types of treatment and medicine, to using incredible technology to diagnose rare illnesses, scientists have come a long way in terms of research and diagnosis. One of the most significant discoveries was made by Nikola Tesla in 1882. Tesla was an inventor, engineer and physicist who found the Rotating Magnetic Field. This brought to light the idea that the opposite poles of a magnetic field rotate around an axis, changing direction at a constant rate with specific angles. Combining Tesla’s discovery with modern technology, the MRI machine was created. The acronym MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, but in some places, it is called Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging. This machine is used commonly in medicine to diagnose many illnesses and injuries, such as strokes, tumors, aneurysms, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and eye and inner ear problems. This machine is also a great tool for medical research, as it allows for images of many parts of the body to …show more content…
Diffusion MRI measures how water diffuses in the body and is useful because there are many illnesses such as tumours and strokes that do not allow water to diffuse (Berger). The MRI scan can then detect where the water is not diffusing, aiding in the diagnosis of illness. Functional MRI measures the changes in blood flow to different parts of the brain. This has been extremely beneficial to the development of neuroscience. To add, MRI scans are much more safe than other medical examinations, such as x-rays or CT scans. As MRI’s only use radio waves, the body is not harmed. The radiofrequency waves used in MRI are found around people in everyday life and do not cause harm, making MRI an extremely safe and useful form of study, examination and